Kathryn Dean’s Biography:

Kathryn Reed was born and raised in Lancashire, England. She attended Millfield High School and Blackpool Collegiate Sixth Form, where she studied flute with Andy Colquhoun, guitar with Mark Howard, and piano with Sue Coombs. During her school years, she passed the ABRSM Grade 8 examination in flute and Grade 6 in piano, as well as completing her ‘O’ and ‘A’ level qualifications. These accomplishments earned her a place at Lancaster University, where she received her Bachelor of Music degree in 1987. She went on to obtain her teaching qualification (PGCE) from the University of Birmingham in 1989.

Kathryn began her teaching career in the West Midlands, instructing general music, GCSE, and Advanced-Level Music at two high schools. She also conducted school bands and the string orchestra and served as the musical director for a production of Grease. In the evenings, she provided private flute lessons from her home.

In 1993, Kathryn moved to the United States when her first husband accepted a position at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In January 1994, she joined Durham Academy in North Carolina as a middle school band teacher. Under her leadership, the band program experienced significant growth, increasing from 25 to 80 students, which led the school to construct a larger classroom. Two of her advanced bands were invited to perform at Disney World in 1996 and 1998.

After relocating to Tallahassee, Florida, Kathryn completed her Master of Music Education degree at Florida State University and later worked as the Development Director for the Florida Music Educators’ Association.

She returned to teaching in 2003, first at Bozeman K-12 School in Panama City, Florida, and later at South Elementary School in Mooresville, North Carolina. During this time, she earned National Board Certification.

Since 2012, Kathryn has embraced a quieter pace, offering private lessons in piano, guitar, and recorder from her home studio in Mooresville. She is also an adjunct professor at Mitchell Community College, teaching Music Appreciation year-round and Fundamentals of Music each summer.

Kathryn is married to Jim Dean, and they share their home with two cats, Jack and Jill. Outside of teaching, she enjoys performing with the Lake Norman Recorder Ensemble, gardening, working on jigsaw puzzles, crocheting, listening to audiobooks, and watching TV. She is currently studying American Sign Language, although she finds her progress slow without a practice partner.

Kathryn and Jim support HIS Breast Cancer Awareness, a cause close to their hearts since Jim is a breast cancer survivor. Her students regularly participate in play-a-thons and formal recitals to raise funds for this charity.

Kathryn states, “At the heart of my work is refinement — I begin with broad ideas and shape them, step by step, until truth and clarity emerge. Whether I am teaching, writing, or creating, I layer detail and honesty into every project until the result is both polished and unmistakably my own.”

Around the Reed the Music’s Studio

Instruments, Studio, and Lessons

Secret Weapon = Parents

Three Wonderful Things Parents Can Share with Their Children When Beginning Their Music Lessons:

When your child starts music lessons, it is more than just an exciting day; it signifies an opportunity for growth.

This might be one of the greatest opportunities in your child’s life so far.

Here are three philosophies that parents should understand and communicate to their child once they begin learning to play a musical instrument:

1. You are allowed to fail, and you will grow from your failures.  

In music, there are no red pen marks for missed notes like there are on tests. There’s nothing to feel bad about if you play something “wrong” in music. To become skilled at a musical instrument and excel at anything, one must endure a bit of struggle. In your child’s case, they need to sound bad before sounding good. They must work on challenges beyond their current capabilities to improve and become smarter, which means they need to make mistakes. There is a small gap between what we can achieve and where we aspire to be, and concentrating on that gap makes us better learners and better individuals. Learning a musical instrument enables personal growth through our mistakes.

2. Hard work trumps talent every time. 

Practicing a skill repeatedly and correctly activates circuits in our brains that strengthen that skill. Sure, some people find certain skills easier at first than others, but those who practice a skill daily to “burn it” into their brains will always far surpass those who don’t practice enough. Practicing a musical instrument teaches children the universal truth that dedication is more important than talent.

3. We are committed to this for the long term.  

Studies have shown that students who committed to playing their instrument for over one year outperformed those who only planned to play for one year by as much as 400%, even when practicing the same amount of time or sometimes less. The ideas and mindsets that students bring to their study of an instrument directly affect their success, and it’s the parent’s responsibility to set the tone on the first day by not giving their child an “easy out” to quit.  Decide to invest in your child’s music education for at least a few years, and you will see results.

Christmas Recital 2024

The Then and Now Recital featured musicians playing compositions from when they began lessons to today’s skills. Their hard work and dedication shows through! You all should be very proud! This video features a few memorable moments from the recital and features Anwita playing Queen’s Someone to Love.

Reed Trio Sonata in C

We had the pleasure of playing for the Davidson United Methodist Church on August 10, 2025. Katheryn Reed and Dave Wyatt are on recorder and Rosemary Klein on piano.

Proud of these two artists! Jiya shares her budding guitar skills with our great guest singer Ashley JaNae. Ashley’s Facebook Link.

Introducing the Joy of Music to Future Musicians